Molecular and Morphological evidence support the delimitation of a new genus, Hafezia gen. nov. in Arabideae (Brassicaceae)

Document Type : Original article

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Department of Biology, College of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses within the tribe Arabideae (Brassicaceae) have uncovered unresolved lineages that challenge current generic boundaries. In this study, we incorporate molecular data with morphological evidence to resolve a long-standing taxonomic ambiguity, resulting in the description of a new monophyletic genus, Hafezia gen. nov., together with two new combinations, H. aucheri (Boiss.) A.R. Khosravi & A. Eslami-Farouji and H. parvula (Dufour ex DC.) A.R. Khosravi & A. Eslami-Farouji. Integrative taxonomy and phylogenetic insights, such as indels and substitution nucleotide variants, confirm the distinct assignment of these taxa, previously misassigned to Arabis L. Morphological reassessment, including traits such as simple, long setaceous hairs, notched petals, winged stamens, not compressed, not subtorulose or torulose fruits, supports their separation. The new genus naturally grows in the Mediterranean and west of the Irano-Turanian floristic regions. Our findings highlight the significance of integration of taxonomic investigations with the molecular investigations in clarifying evolutionary relationships and provide a revised key for accurate identification within Arabideae.

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